Oil well drilling apparatus with selfraising drawworks support



Sept. 13, i965 H, WOOLSLAYER ETAL LQ OIL WELL DRILLING APPARATUS WITH SELF-RAISING DRAWWORKS SUPPORT Filed Jan, 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l lfuxlmL/l It@ K/ Sept. 13, 1966 ,WQOLSLAYER ETAL 3,271,915

OIL WELL DRILLING APPARATUS WITH SELF-RAISING DRAWWORKS SUPPORT Filed Jan, 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g 22 l a .arroR'A/Eys.

UnitedStates Patent O 3,271,915 OIL WELL DRILLING APPARATUS WITH SELF- RAISNG DRAWWORKS SUIPRT Horner J. Woolslayer, Cecil Jenkins, and Joseph R. Woolslayer, Tulsa, Okla., assigner-s to Lee C. Moore Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 335,039 9 Claims. (Cl. 52-122) This invention relates to oil well drilling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus in which the drawworks is supported at a high eleva-tion.

For most deep wells it is necessary to use very tall drilling masts and a working iloor that may be located feet or more above the ground. The drawworks should be supported at about the same level. It is expensive to build a substructure of such a height, and diilicult as well as expensive to lift the drawworks onto the tall substructure. To meet these problems it has been proposed to mount lthe drawworks on a support near the ground and then elevate the support by swinging it upward on a parallel linkage system or by raising it straight up between large fabricated corner posts that are constructed to support it after it has been elevated. Such practices are satisfactory under the right conditions, but wherever possible it would be desirable to accomplish the same result in a less expensive manner.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide oil well drilling apparatus suitable for very deep drilling, which has a relatively low substructure supporting a tall mast, which has a working floor in the mast many feet above the ground, which has a drawworks support that initially rests on the substructure but which can be lifrted with the drawworks thereon to the level of the working floor by means of the travelling block in the erected mast, in which the drawworks support is guided in its movements up and down by means of the gin pole, and in which the gin pole forms the chief support for the elevated drawworks support.

In accordance with this invention a gin pole for an oil well mast is mounted on a suitable support and is provided with forwardly and upwardly inclined rear legs that form a track. A drawworks support extends rearwardly from the bottom of the Vgin pole. Wheels are mounted on the support and engage the gin pole legs for rolling up and down them. Means are connected with the support for running it up the legs for a position near the top of the gin pole, where the raised support can be secured and will overhang the back of the gin pole. The drawworks support preferably is raised as just described after the mast has been erected, so that the travelling block in the mast then can be used for that purpose by pulling upwardly on a sling connected to the support. At about the level of the raised support, t-he mast itself is provided with a working floor and a rotary table.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of our oil well drilling apparatus, with t-he mast ready 'to be raised;

FIG. 2 is a similar View after the mast has been erected and the drawworks support has been raised;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1, bult without the drawworks in place; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizon-al section taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, a low substructure is formed from laterally spaced parallel base mem-bers 1 constructed from structural steel. Each base member may be an elongated box-like structure. The bottoms of the base members may be rigidly connected by suitable ICC cross members (not shown). Mounted on the substructure is a gin pole 2, which tapers inwardly when viewed from the side. The two sides are independent of each other, each being mounted on a different base member. Each side of the gin pole is formed from a p-air of legs that are inclined upwardly toward each other. T-he lower ends of the front legs 3 are supported in shoes 4 mounted on the substructure, while their upperends are connected to brackets 5 projecting from the front of the rear legs. Each rear leg is formed from a pair of parallel I-beams connected by suitable bracing. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the outer beam 6 is supported by a shoe 7 mounted on the substructure, but the lower end of the inner beam 8 extends down between the base members and is bolted to a step 9 at the bottom of the adjoining base member. A short distance below the top of each rear gin pole leg a sheave 10 is mounted on a horizontal axis.

As shown in FIG. l, a typical cantilever type drilling mast 12 reclines in front of the substructure and has its `feet pivotally mounted in shoes 13 in the substructure. In order to swing the mast from its reclining position up to an upright position against the gin pole, the ends of a cable for-ming a sling 14 are detachably connected to the top of the gin pole in a well known manner. The sling extends forward and around a pair of laterally spaced snatch blocks 15 connected to the upper side of the reclining mast and then back around the gin pole sheaves 10 and down around the back of a lower pair of sheaves 16 supported near the bottom of the front of the gin pole. From these sheaves the sling extends )forward into the mast and is looped over the hook of the travelling block 17. The travelling bl-ock is connected by the usual lines 18 to the crown block 19 (FIG. 2) at the head of the mast, and the fast line 20 from the crown bl-ock extends back over the reclining mast to suitable drawworks 21, to which the line is attached. When the drawworks is operated to reel in the fast line, the travelling block will be pulled toward the head of the mast to cause the sling to swing the mast upward and backward to upright position against the gin pole, as shown in FIG. 2, to the head of which the mast can then be connected in a well known manner.

It is a feature of this invention that after the mast has been erected, the drawworks is raised to a position near the top of the gin pole and secured there. Accordingly, the drawworks 21 in its lower position is mounted on a support behind the gin pole. This support includes a platform 22 spanning the space between the two base members 1, with the opposite sides of at least the maj-or portion of the platform preferably resting on them. The platform may include a narrower front portion that eX- tends forward between the yrear legs of the gin pole. The platform is braced by suitable trusses 23 beneath it in the space between the base members. This drawworks support merely rests on the substructure and is not fastened to it. It is designed to be raised by the sling after t-he mast has been erected.

Todo this, the sling is disconnected from the top of the gin pole and the travelling block is lowered so that the ends of the sling cable c-an be pulled down behind the mast and gin pole as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2 and secured to brackets 24 fastened to opposite sides of the drawworks platform behind the gin pole. When the drawworks is operated again to raise the travelling block in the mast, the sling will pull the drawworks support upward. As the support must be guided and maintained horizontal as it is raised, the front portion of the support is provided at each side with upper and lower wheels 25 that project into the channels 26 formed by the inner sides of the inner yI-bearns 8 of the gin pole rear legs, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The legs therefore serve as tracks for the wheels as the drawworks support is raised and lowered. Due to the inclination of the tracks, the support will be compelled to move forward as it moves upward. It is raised by the sling until it is near the top of the gin pole. At that point the front portion of the platform will project forward from the gin pole and can be secured to brackets 27 on the back part of the mast. Before the sling is disconnected from the platform brackets 24, removable vertical braces 28 are installed between the bottom of the drawworks support and the substructure below it to support the por tion of the platform overhanging the hack of the gin pole.

After the sling has been removed from the drawworks support and the travelling block, the latter can be used for lifting into position in front of the mast a pipe setback support 30, which is mounted on legs 31 supported by the substructure and detachably connected to the front legs of the mast. The back of the setback support is fastened to the mast. Inside the mast directly behind the setback there is a working platform 32. Mounted in this platform, which may be a short distance above the drawworks platform, is a rotary table 33. The working platform inside the mast is permanently mounted there so that it is swung up and down with the mast. The rotary table may be installed before or after the mast is swung upward.

The drilling apparatus disclosed herein has a relatively low and inexpensive substructure, but the working platform is at a h'igh elevation because it is built into the mast. The drawworks can be loaded onto its support at about truck bed height, and then the support lifted to working platform height by means of the travelling block and a sling. Since the drawworks support is guided and supported by the gin pole itself during raising and lowering, no expensive pivoted links or massive rigid corner posts are required. The construction therefore is simplified and its weight and cost greatly reduced.

We claim:

1. In oil well drilling apparatus, a gin pole provided with forwardly and upward-ly inclined rear legs forming a track, a drawworks support extending rearwardly from the bottom of the gin pole, wheels mounted on said support and engaging said legs for rolling up and down them, means connected with said support for running it up said legs to a position near the top of the gin pole, and remova-ble means for securing the raised support in said position overhanging the back of the gin pole.

2. In oil well drilling apparatus according to claim 1, the inner sides of said legs being provided with channels extending lengthwise thereof, and said wheels projecting laterally from said drawworks support into said channels.

3. In oil well drilling apparatus, a gin pole provided with forwardly and upwardly inclined rear legs forming a track, a drawworks support extending rearwardly from the bottom of the gin pole, wheels mounted on said suppont and engaging said legs `for yrolling up and down them, means connected with said support for running it up said legs to a position near the top of the gin pole, means for fastening the raised support to the upper part of the gin pole with the major portion of the support overhanging the back of the gin pole, and removable supporting means for installation beneath the overhanging portion of the raised support to lhelp support it.

4. In oil well dri-lling apparatus according to claim 3, said gin pole being tapered upwardly, and said drawworks support projecting forward between said rear legs far enough to extend in front of the gin pole when the support is raised and fastened to the upper part of the gin pole.

S. In oil well drilling apparatus, a pair of laterally spaced parallel base members, a gin pole mounted on said Ibase members and :having `forwardly and upwardly inclined rear legs forming a track, a platform resting on said base members behind said legs, bracing members secured to the bottom of the platform and extending down between the base members, said platform and bracing members forming a drawworks support, wheels carried .by said support land engaging s-aid legs for rolling up and down them, means connected with said support for elevating said platform from the base members to a position near the top of the lgin pole, and removable means :for securing said support in its elevated position with its platform overhanging the `back of the gin pole.

`6. In oi'l well `drilling apparatus, a gin pole provided with forwardly and upwardly inclined rear legs forming7 a track, an upright mast vdisposed against the front of the gin pole, a crown block supported by the mast, a traveling block in the mast, a line suspending It-he traveling block from the crown block and also extending down the bac-k of the mast, a support extending rearwardly from the bottom of the gin pole, drawworks rigidly mounted on said support and operatively connected to the lower end of said line, wheels mounted on said support and engaging said legs for rolling up and down them, sheave means supported by the mast -above the gin pole, a sling extending around said sheave means and connected -to the traveling block and drawworks support for moving the support up said legs when the drawworks is operated to raise the traveling 'block in the mast, and means for detachably securing the raised support to the upper part of the gin pole with the major portion of the support overhanging the lback of the gin pole.

7. In -oil well drilling apparatus according to claim 6, a floor in said mast at substantially the level of the drawworks support when raised.

`3. In oil well drilling apparatus according to claim 6, said gin pole being tapered upwardly, and said drawworks support projecting forward between said gin pole legs into the 4mast when the support is in its elevated position.

9. In oil wel-l drilling apparatus, a gin pole provided with forwardly and upwardly inclined rear legs Vforming a track, a reclining mast extending forward from the gin pole, means pivotally supporting the rear end of the mast adjacent the bottom of the gin pole, a crown block carried by the opposite end of the mast, a traveling block in the mast, a line connecting the traveling block with the crown block and extending from the Vlatter back over the mast and gin pole, a support extending rearwardly from the bottom of the gin pole, drawworks rigidly mounted on said support and operatively connected to the rear end of said line, wheels mounted on said support and engaging said legs for rolling up and down them, sheaves supported by the gin pole, sheaves supported by the upper side of the reclining mast, a sling connected to said traveling yblock and extending rearwardly around said gin pole sheaves and then forward around said mast sheaves and then back to detachable connection to said gin pole so that when the drawworks is operated to pull the traveling yblock toward the crown block the sling will swing the mast rearwardly and upwardly to upright position, means for fastening the sling to said support after the mast has been erected and t-he sling disconnected from the gin pole, whereby upon further operation of the draww-orks the sling will pull said support .up said gin pole legs, 'and means for detachably connecting the elevated support Ito the upper part of the gin pole with the major portion of the support overhanging the back of the gin pole.

Refer-ences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1964 Woolslayer et al 52-120 1/1966 Woolslayer et al. 52-116 X 

6. IN OIL WELL DRILLING APPARATUS, A GAIN POLE PROVIDED WITH FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED REAR LEGS FORMING A TRACK, AN UPRIGHT MAST DISPOSED AGAINST THE FRONT OF THE GIN POLE, A CROWN BLOCK SUPPORTED BY THE MAST, A TRAVELING BLOCK IN THE MAST, A LINE SUSPENDING THE TRAVELING BLOCK FROM THE CROWN BLOCK AND ALSO EXTENDING DOWN THE BACK OF THE MAST, A SUPPORT EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE GIN POLE, DRAWWORKS RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID LINE, WHEELS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT AND ENGAGING SAID LEGS FOR ROLLING UP AND DOWN THEM, SHEAVE MEANS SUPPORTED BY THE MAST ABOVE THE GIN POLE, A SLING EXTENDING AROUND SAID SHEAVE MEANS AND CONNECTED TO THE TRAVELING BLOCK AND DRAWWORKS SUPPORT FOR MOVING THE SUPPORT UP SAID LEGS WHEN THE DRAWWORKS IS OPERATED TO RAISE THE TRAVELING BLOCK IN THE MAST, AND MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING THE RAISED SUPPORT TO THE UPPER PART OF THE GIN POLE WIH THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE SUPPORT OVERHANGING THE BACK OF THE GIN POLE. 